Taylor made two Pro Bowls in his first three full NFL seasons. He died midway during his fourth season.

"Shawn covers so much field as a safety, but he also comes down and knocks peoples' heads off in the box," Davis told the Miami Herald. "He is very, very physical, which is what you want from your best defensive player. He just sets the tone defensively for us from his position.

"He can come down and make a play at the line of scrimmage or intercept the ball 40 yards down the field. That shows you how dynamic he is."

Monarch, which opens the season at Nova on Friday, returns 17 starters from a Florida Class 8A quarterfinal team. Burgess-Becker had 518 receiving yards and nine touchdowns last year and will take on a bigger receiving role when Ridley's season ends.

Miami and Florida State are believed to be the biggest challengers to Alabama for Ridley and Burgess-Becker.